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BACKGROUND: Quality improvement is a strategic priority for all healthcare systems. However, the engagement of healthcare providers in pursuing accreditation plays a critical role in integrating standards into routine practice. Therefore, the current study assessed the perceptions, attitudes, and barriers towards using the Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI) standards among Saudi healthcare providers. METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 among a representative sample (364) of Saudi healthcare providers (both genders, aged 20-60) working at twenty governmental CBAHI-accredited hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The study participants were selected using a cluster random sampling method. Data regarding the perceptions, attitudes, and barriers toward using CBAHI standards among Saudi healthcare providers were evaluated using a validated questionnaire. Additional information regarding demographic-socioeconomic variables was obtained with an interview-based questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 28. RESULTS: A total of 364 healthcare providers participated in the current study. Of them, 54.4% were males, and 45.6% were females. Almost half (48.6%) of the study participants held bachelor's degrees. For the variables of age group, marital status, monthly income, and years of work experience, statistically significant associations were found between males and females (p-value < 0.05). The means of overall item agreement percentage of the participating healthcare providers for perceptions and attitudes towards using CBAHI standards and attitudes towards using CBAHI standards as a tool for quality improvement were 80.1%, 76.4%, and 72.0%, respectively. The highest item agreement percentage of the participating healthcare providers regarding the barriers that inhibit the hospital from obtaining the full benefit from the CBAHI accreditation was for the inexpedient IT tools (59.6%). CONCLUSION: The current study's results demonstrated accepted perceptions and attitudes toward using CBAHI standards among Saudi healthcare providers. In addition, the identified barriers should be alleviated to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The findings also help clarify the accreditation operating process, which may be helpful to policymakers and stakeholders in making informed decisions on integrating accreditation standards.
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Chemical signal molecules are used by bacteria to interact with one another. Small hormone-like molecules known as autoinducers are produced, released, detected, and responded to during chemical communication. Quorum Sensing (QS) is the word for this procedure; it allows bacterial populations to communicate and coordinate group behavior. Several research has been conducted on using inhibitors to prevent QS and minimize the detrimental consequences. Through the enzymatic breakdown of the autoinducer component, by preventing the formation of autoinducers, or by blocking their reception by adding some compounds (inhibitors) that can mimic the autoinducers, a technique known as "quorum quenching" (QQ) disrupts microbial communication. Numerous techniques, including colorimetry, electrochemistry, bioluminescence, chemiluminescence, fluorescence, chromatography-mass spectroscopy, and many more, can be used to test QS/QQ. They all permit quantitative and qualitative measurements of QS/QQ molecules. The mechanism of QS and QQ, as well as the use of QQ in the prevention of biofilms, are all elaborated upon in this writing, along with the fundamental study of nanoparticle (NP)in QQ. Q.
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BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) responsible for a catastrophic global pandemic. The complexity of COVID-19 is centred on the unpredictable course of the disease, which can rapidly develop from patients being asymptomatic to having life-threatening symptoms. The unpredictable disease severity of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been a major problem facing the healthcare system during the pandemic. Identifying the laboratory biomarkers would help predict SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity. This study focused on the previous literature regarding three laboratory biomarker profiles: haematological, inflammatory, and biochemical biomarkers. METHODS: A retrospective study of COVID-19 patients was conducted between May 2020 and September 2020 to determine the predictors of hospitalization (severity) in COVID-19 patients. Patients were divided into two groups: those admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU, severe) and those admitted to a non-ICU (stable). Patients' data were obtained from their medical records at Al Noor Specialist Hospital and East Arafat Hospital in Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: A total of 487 patients with COVID-19, including 304 males and 183 females, were investigated in this study. A total of 217 patients were admitted to the ICU. Patients admitted to the ICU had a higher prevalence of chronic comorbidities than non-ICU patients. D-dimer, white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, ferritin, C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were more elevated in patients admitted to the ICU compared to non-ICU patients. CONCLUSION: Chronic comorbidities are a significant predictor for admission to the ICU. Moreover, tests for D-dimer, WBC, neutrophils, lymphocytes, CRP, LDH, and ALT could be used to predict patients' admission to the ICU.
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Introduction It is generally agreed that tooth extraction may lead to maxillary sinus pneumatization, resulting in a union between the sinus floor and the crest of the remaining bone in extreme cases. Studies that compared pre- and postextraction radiographs suggest that maxillary sinus pneumatization may occur after posterior tooth extractions. This study's aim was to establish the prevalence of maxillary sinus pneumatization following extractions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Material and methodology In this cross-sectional study, 282 panoramic images were randomly selected from the radiology department of the Dental University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from the years 2015 to 2018. The radiographs included were of patients who had one of the following teeth extracted: the second premolar, the first molar, or the second molar. These radiographs were then evaluated for sinus pneumatization following extractions. The distance between the sinus floor and the inferior border of the alveolar ridge after the extraction was reviewed and assessed for all images. Result The six teeth that were assessed in this study were: 17, 16, 15, 25, 26, and 27. In relation to distribution (unilateral and bilateral), the results showed a statistically significant difference, especially for tooth numbers 16, 15, and 26. The mean values of change in sinus were significantly higher in the unilateral site than the bilateral site. However, the data did not provide any significant difference for the other three teeth (17, 25, and 27). The gender and molar side groups showed no statistical significance. Conclusion The results of the study showed that maxillary sinus pneumatization may occur after posterior tooth extraction.
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PURPOSE: Traditionally, gliomas are considered to be confined to the central nervous system. The shortage of solid donor organs resulted in consideration of organs from patients with primary malignancy such as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) for transplantation into patients suffering from end-stage organ disease. METHODS: We performed a PubMed search including all studies that documented patient demographics, pre- and post-transplantation conditions as well as time to metastasis and overall survival in recipients of organ transplants from donors suffering from GBM. RESULTS: A total of 11 studies with 11 patients were included in this review. Three patients had liver, three had kidney, and five had lung transplantation. For kidney transplants, average time to metastasis was 17.3 months post-surgery. The average follow-up time was 32.3 months, and all patients were doing well. All liver transplant recipients succumbed due to GBM metastasis. The average survival was 7 months for all three patients. For lung-receiving patients, two patients died at an average of 9.5 months post-transplantation, with a mean time to metastasis of 9 months. Two patients were doing well at 17- and 20-month follow-up. One patient was diagnosed with metastasis 12 months after transplantation, but no follow-up data were provided. CONCLUSIONS: These studies emphasize the disadvantage of transplanting an organ of an individual with GBM. However, it should be noted that these cases do not make up a large percentage of overall transplantations, and donors with primary central nervous system malignancies also do not represent the whole pool of organs available.